If I May
by Safely Away
Summary: A series of drabbles and moments in the "Who's To Say" universe.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N Hi Friends! It's been awhile huh. I am still working on completing_ Mark my Words _but as I said to expect, here is an excerpt from the WTS universe. What I actually plan on doing is making this a series of fluff moments. This will be the start. They'll be a little random but amusing - hopefully - all the same. And I don't know where my obsession with pillow talk and early mornings and yogurt parfaits came from but clearly I have a problem lol. I hope you enjoy and as always, thanks for sticking with me._

* * *

Tris couldn't sleep.

In frustration she raised her head, fluffed her pillow, and plopped back down again, forcing her eyes shut and willing the sweet release of slumber to hit her. Any second now…

Nothing.

She suppressed the urge to growl. It'd surely be swallowed up in her husband's whale-like snores anyway. She turned towards him splayed out on the other side of the bed. It was funny. When Tris was first getting to know him, he'd been serious, stoic. He was still that way sometimes, but she'd thought the way he slept would be different. The covers tucked neatly across his lower back, one arm tucked under his chest, his right cheek laid gently on one pillow. Not like he was now. A complete mess. One leg covered and another hanging off the edge of the mattress, hands and arms mushed into a ball, and his face completely inside the pillow.

She reached a gentle hand out to flatten a strand that would surely be a cowlick by morning and he grunted in his sleep, burying his head further into the pillow.

She snickered.

Through the slightly opened window, a breeze picked up, ruffling the leaves of the trees surrounding the house. Followed by a barking dog a few homes down. She exhaled, throwing the covers back and stepping into her slippers. Yep, no sleep tonight.

Tris crept down the wooden stairs that creaked and groaned under her feet, using the railing that Tobias insisted she use the past few months.

" _You'll fall_ ," he'd pressed.

" _I'm fine,"_ she grumbled, but of course at that very moment she'd proceeded to trip on air and almost do a faceplant down the two short flights if it had not been for Tobias' steady hands catching her just in time.

Wordlessly, she wiggled out of his grip and placed a firm hand on the railing. She refused to look back and see his smug face.

It was quiet tonight. It always was, different from the city, of course, but in moments like these where it was just her, the silence was loud.

Padding through to the kitchen, she opened the fridge. The light was a steady stream that shone through the doorway, illuminating the surfaces and some wayward fine hairs, and tiredly she grabbed a yogurt parfait and picked up a spoon out of the placement drawer.

She knew she shouldn't have been eating so late. How late was it? She glanced at the clock above the sink and frowned, just a little after 3. The Doctor told her to follow her cravings but her body was telling her _I dare you to take a bite_.

Perching herself atop the windowsill, she shrugged digging into her snack. She was exhausted and she was hungry and one of the two she could fix, so why not?

Tris watched as she mixed the strawberries into the cream and the granola, licking some that got on her finger and took the first bite.

And dropped the spoon shortly after.

Such a little thing shouldn't have made such a large sound as it did. The metal bounced off the tiles, skittering further and further away from her as the noise rang through the house. Tris winced, hoping it didn't wake Tobias up.

He'd stayed up with her many nights before this one. Too many. It would go like this: she'd plead for him to sleep because he had work in the morning - he already dreaded leaving her alone but it drove her insane when he was at home all the time worrying after her - he'd refuse and plant himself down wherever she was and they'd watch the sun come up. After, she would nap and he'd drink three cups of coffee to lessen his yawns. All it did was make Tris feel bad and him more tired than he needed to be. So she snuck.

Crawling on the floor, she picked up the spoon just as two feet came into her view. She cursed and raised her head to meet his incredulous stare.

"What are you doing?" His voice was still a sleepy thick and his hair in a state of mess.

She slowly stood and went to the sink, avoiding his face. She ran the utensil under a stream of water. "I was eating and then I dropped my spoon. Sorry that I woke you, go back to sleep," she said simply, shutting off the faucet.

Sighing heavily he came around to where she was and tilted her head forward. She was forced to meet his eyes as he cupped her cheek. "Why aren't _you_ sleeping?"

Tris scratched behind her head, dropping the spoon the floor again. She sighed, leaning her head into his chest. "You know why," she mumbled against him.

Tobias frowned kissing her forehead. "Is she kicking again?"

Tris smiled, playing with the rim of his sleep shirt and looking down between them where her swollen abdomen met his flat, stone-hard one. "No."

"Then what is it?"

"I don't know Tobias," she said a little impatiently. "Sometimes when you're pregnant you just can't sleep. Especially at 35 weeks."

This was true. Her stomach was the size of a beach ball and because of her small frame it suck out even more so. But there were many things she couldn't do besides sleeping. She couldn't bend down to put her shoes on, let alone tie them. She couldn't walk straight. The list went on.

"Why didn't you wake me?"

She pulled back and looked at the floor. "Because," she mumbled, "when you wake up I feel guilty."

"Tris," he sighed. "I'm here for you at every hour. If you can't sleep and there's something I can do to help you, I need you to wake me up or _I_ feel guilty." He took her hands and kissed her knuckles. "Okay?"

She nodded.

"Okay. Do you want go for a walk?"

"It's three in the morning," she chuckled.

Tobias shrugged. "Change of atmosphere."

He led her to the closet near the front door and she threw her windbreaker on, not bothering to zip it closed - this action was impossible.

"You going out in your bunny slippers?" Tobias grinned.

She bopped him on the head. "My ankles are swollen."

As they left the house, they proceeded on the same familiar walk they've been taking for the past months. Tris strolled along slowly and Tobias kept at her even pace, hand in hand.

There was little conversation but a comfortable silence as their eyes roamed in nowhere in particular; walking side by side. It wasn't until they got to the dog park, Tobias looked at her with a glint in his dark eyes.

"Let's do something very spontaneous and inherently stupid," he said suddenly.

"Very spontaneous?" Tris smiled.

"And inherently stupid; keep up Eaton."

The little blond laughed. "Like what?"

Tobias has a mischievous glint in his eye and his smirk said it all. Out of nowhere, he stepped away from his wife and cupped his hands around his mouth.

"I AM SO IN LOVE WITH YOU," he belted.

Tris was in shock and forced his hands down but was giggling despite. "Tobias what the hell-"

"I love you."

Tris' grin almost split her face. "I know that but-"

"And I think," Tobias continued. "We can be a little stupid time to time, right?"

Tobias wasn't a silly man, it wasn't his character. But he could get like this, just for her. And she'd be lying if she say she didn't love it. She'd also be lying if she said she didn't like to go along with it.

And it's not that Tobias wasn't one to show affection in the presence of others. Frankly, he showed it a little bit too much most of the times. But standing in the middle of their mega suburbia neighborhood, professing his love in the throes of the morning to the world was something else entirely.

Tris shook her head and fell into him, kissing his chest. "Inherently stupid." They were like that for a moment; her enveloped in his thick arms hidden from the world, his head covering hers until she stepped back and smirked at him.

"AND I," Tris laughed. "AM SO IN LOVE WITH YOU."

She would never forget the smile on Tobias' face.

She would also never forget the dog barking down the street and angry neighbors screaming to find the location of the noise.

"Shit," Tobias snorted. "Come on."

They laughed the entire way home and just how exhausted they were didn't register until they were upstairs, kicking off their shoes and extra articles of clothing, settled into one another under the covers.

"Please don't go in for work today," Tris whispered into his neck. "Stay here."

Tobias moved down to cradle her stomach and planted a kiss. Then moving back up he brushed back her hair from both sides and kissed her lips softly and slowly. "I'm not going anywhere, baby."

And that was that.


	2. Chapter 2

Tobias watched in horror as across from him, his wife sprinkled a substantial amount of cayenne pepper onto her vanilla ice cream cone. She was oblivious, licking and catching any that dripped down her chin with a finger, flipping through a magazine with another. Suddenly she looked up from where she was seated at the window.

"What?" She frowned.

Tobias shook his head, pretending to look for something in the cabinets. "Nothing." Tris was five months pregnant and he'd quickly discovered that anything could be grounds for an emotional outburst, so these past weeks he'd treaded very carefully on what he'd chosen to say.

"Do you want some?"

Tobias sent her small smile. "No, you enjoy it."

Suddenly Tris face fell. She put down the spoon and Tobias watched in even more horror as her bottom lip quivered.

 _Shit._

"It's gross right?" Her voice wavered.

In three giant strides, Tobias was at her side, pulling her onto his lap. He kissed her cheek. "No, it's not."

Tear pooled in Tris' eyes. "It is," she confirmed. "I saw the way you were staring, you think I'm disgusting don't you."

 _Shit Shit Shit_

"Hey," he made her face him. "You're not disgusting."

She pulled away and tried to stand. "Yes I am, Tobias," she cried. "I look disgusting, I eat disgusting things, I'm revolting."

To be fair, Tris looked pretty much the same save her protruding abdomen. She was already a petite women so they weight she gained didn't make a dent. It was all in her head, but he was definitely not telling her that she was crazy.

He pulled her back down. "No, no -"

"Look at me! I'm like an oversized cantaloupe, James' giant peach."

"Babe, you're a pumpkin."

Tris dropped her jaw, eyes bulging out of their sockets. " _Excuse_ me?"

This is why he didn't speak.

Tobias held his hands up - to keep his wife calm and to shield himself - and tried to correct himself.

"What I meant was," his voice cracked. "You're like Cinderella's pumpkin."

Tris shot up. "What does that even mean!"

"I don't know yet," he admitted, standing to meet her. "I mean - you're like the pumpkin that turned into the carriage."

Tris shook her head incredulous.

"You're like a safe haven!" He tried.

Tris crossed her arms, her mouth in a thin line which meant she was listening.

"For the baby." He continued. "Cinderella used a pumpkin as a carriage to take her to the ball which singlehandedly made her a princess right?"

Tris was quiet.

"So," Tobias winced. "You're like that. A guide, a constant care even after it's born. You're a pumpkin."

Tris blinked and Tobias pulled at the collar of his shirt.

Suddenly she put her arms down. "Okay."

Tobias lit up. "Okay?"

The blond woman nodded and smiled as Tobias enveloped her in an embrace, kissing her head and thanking the Lord.

"Babe," Tris mumbled in his chest.

"Hm?"

"Do we have any garlic powder?"


	3. Chapter 3

"I don't think this is such a good idea."

Christina rolled her eyes and pushed the phone into her friend's hand. "Do it."

Tris furrowed her brows, her fingers hesitating over the buttons. "Chris, I'm telling you he's going to flip out."

"And I'm telling you," Christina said fishing for a spoon in the nearby drawer. "That you need to do this. It's practice."

"Practice," Tris doubted.

"Yes," Christina pulled out a plastic cup from the fridge. "By the way these parfaits are delicious."

"I know, he buys them _for me_ ," Tris pointed out.

Christina ignored her taking a bite. "Call him, or I will."

Tris sighed, chewing at her lip before dialing the number all the while shaking her head at Christina.

"Hello?"

Tris shut her eyes before speaking. "Hey, it's me."

"Oh," Tobias' voice changed into the sweeter tone. "Hey, you okay?"

"Um," Tris glared at Christina's pointed look. "My water broke. I think I'm in labor."

* * *

It wasn't ten minutes before the front door busted open and heavy footsteps filled the corridor.

"Tris!" Tobias' voiced boomed, panicky.

"In here," Tris rubbed her neck.

He rushed in the kitchen kneeling to where his wife was sitting in the chair. He didn't know what to do with his hands, they hovered over her chin, forehead, blown up stomach. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," she held his hand.

"I don't understand…" Tobias took in his surroundings for the first time and realized there was in fact no water below her. How calm and very _dry_ she was.

"It was a test," Christina said, perched on the counter. Tobias turned his head, seemingly seeing her for the first time.

"What?"

Christina rolled her eyes. "We needed to know how long it would take you to get here from work in case her water broke and you weren't here. A test."

He turned to Tris, it was almost comical at his confusion. "What... the fuck?"

"It was Christina's idea!" Tris blamed.

"What the fuck?" Tobias sent a glare to Christina.

"I'm sorry," Tris brushed back his hair.

"I almost ran over a squirrel," Tobias deadpanned.

"I'm so sorry," she kissed his forehead.

"Well," Christina checked her watch. "Ten minutes isn't going to be good enough. Try and aim for seven."

Tobias looked like he was going to have an aneurysm.

Christina held up a half eaten parfait. "Want some yogurt?"


End file.
